Bitter Sweet Melody
by Pandora's Dream
Summary: Alice was abused and abandoned by her family. The Cullen family found her and decided to take her in, especially after they find out about her gift. Everyone is happy to raise a child except for one lone vampire: Jasper. He feels drawn to Alice but his lack of control makes it very hard to accept her. However, Alice is dead-set on having Jasper in her life, despite his feelings.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One of Bitter Sweet Melody**

**Written to: Mad World - Gary Jules**

**Reviews are really welcomed. Please and thank you!**

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Chapter One

They ran through the trees, racing each other through the thick forest as they laughed and joked around. Edward and Bella were playful when it came to running, especially when it was just the two of them. This was one of the ways they let loose; this was their stress reliever.

"Cheater!" Bella yelled as she tried to catch up to her mate. She was fast but Edward was faster. He had been fast as a human and when he turned, his speed had amplified. Bella however, gained gracefulness and strength when she was changed, despite her lack of balance as a human. Their theory had been she somehow learned to keep her newborn strength, making her an equal match for Emmett.

Edward grinned back at her. "It's not cheating if I'm naturally like this. You just can't handle my speed love," he teased her. Bella narrowed her eyes at him and pushed herself to go faster until she was on his ankles. Taking one more push, she tackled her husband and slammed him into the ground, pinning him in the musky debris.

"Come again?" she questioned. Her gaze screamed friskiness as she lay on his chest, her fingers shackling his wrists tightly above his head. Edward grinned up at her and tried to kiss her but Bella wouldn't allow it. She leaned down and rubbed her nose along his neck lightly, creating a tingle sensation on her mate's skin. Edward groaned and clamped his eyes shut as he took in the pleasurable feeling.

"Tease," he muttered. She chuckled, her voice husky and smooth, and she planted a line a kisses along his frozen veins.

"But you like it," she responded. Before she could stop him, Edward jerked and flipped them over so that he was straddling her. His grin returned as he pulled her arms up to wrap around his neck.

"I guess I do. I wouldn't be able to stand you if I didn't," he murmured. She narrowed her eyes and tugged on the back of his hair, knowing the little sting her action created was pleasurable too.

"Please Edward, you would be miserable without me, even if you didn't like my teasing," Bella stated firmly. Edward smirked, knowing she was right. Hell, Bella was always right, even when she was wrong. Somehow, she made herself right; he found that amusing.

Leaning down again, Bella let Edward kiss her. It started out slow, soft, and modest but slowly, the pair couldn't hold back their passion. They were still in their 'honeymoon' stage, barely surpassing fifty years. Edward was over a hundred years, as was Bella, but Bella didn't join the Olympic Coven until she ran into another man searching for a companion. That man had been Jasper Whitlock, a southerner with a lot of confusion. She met him in a diner in Philadelphia and discovered that he too was looking for another way to live, other than murder. After hearing about Carlisle and his ways from another group, the Denali coven, the two friends set out to see if they could become a part of his family.

Almost immediately Carlisle took them in and Bella was in love with Edward. The whole family agreed it was fate that led the pair to them.

"Did you just stay something?" Edward asked between kisses. Bella chuckled and pulled back to look at him, her golden eyes amused greatly.

"I believe my lips were busy thanks to someone, so no," she answered. Edward rolled his eyes and sat back, his fingers stroking her side. He squinted, focusing on something other than Bella, and it made her curious. "What is it, Edward?"

"Is your shield down?" He pressed on. Bella shook her head and raised an eyebrow.

"What's going on?" She asked but he hushed her and started looking around the woods, searching for whatever it was that he heard. He got off his mate and held his hand out to help her off the ground.

"I hear someone," he responded. "I hear… a girl. She's somewhere around here."

"That's pretty far off the trails…" Bella trailed off. She too started to look.

Edward's eyes widened as he continued to listen. "It's a child! What the hell is a child doing out here alone?" He demanded on knowing. He started to sniff the air but couldn't catch a scent. Bella tried, knowing her tracking skills were a little advanced than Edward's, and was able to pick up a slight scent.

"Got it," she said. "To the left; it's faint but that's a human, alright."

"Her thoughts are scattered and so unconnected… it's almost like she's scared to death," Edward murmured as he followed Bella. She kept sniffing, keeping her mind focused. She changed course sometimes but as she continued, she kept getting closer and closer toward the high way.

"Do you think she fainted and it's just her mind trying to regain consciousness?" Bella asked as she searched. Edward shrugged and tried to follow the child's line of thought. It was sporadic and hyper, scared yet excited.

"I can't tell. I can barely pick anything up. We are getting closer though; they're louder now, almost like she's screaming… I can understand a few words," he tried to explain. Closing his eyes again, he concentrated on the words that were shouted. They were blurry but two distinct words were understandable: _help_ and _mommy_.

"Jesus; we got to find her, love," Edward finally spoke and explored the forest floor.

"Is she hurt?"

"No, but she's scared," he answered.

It took all but seconds but those seconds felt like forever. They finally came across a torn up t-shirt and could hear her heartbeat. Bella picked up the shirt and sniffed it, being darting to the left. "Edward!" she cried as she slid into the ground, kneeling down behind a lump hidden by high grass. Edward crouched down on the opposite side and nudged the lump. The child rolled over, revealing a small child; she was no more than four years old, three at the least. Her skin was pale for a human but her black hair was inky and full of grass and leaves. Her rosy cheeks were sullen and bruised, as if she had been hit repeatedly.

The child wasn't awake; either she was knocked unconscious or fainted. Her heartbeat was erratic and her body was cold from the lack of clothing. Edward wondered why her shirt was off and only had one shorts with no shoes, especially in the middle of February. Had someone hurt her more than what they could see?

"She's nearly as cold as us," Bella whimpered. She shrugged off her thick fur cardigan and then lifted the tiny child up as carefully as she could before wrapping her up tightly. "We need to get her to Carlisle; the poor girl feels like she's been out here for days. If that's the case, she's lucky to be alive."

"I'll carry her back. See if there's anything lying around and then come home," Edward murmured to Bella. He took the child from her arms, kissed his mate's cheek, and then stood back up. Bella nodded and immediately started searching while Edward tried to hold the child as carefully as he could. He was off in the next moment, running as fast as he could for home.

The fast and worrisome journey took all but fifteen minutes. Apparently, Bella had called Carlisle to give a heads up so the entire family was outside waiting. As soon as Edward crossed through the tree line, Carlisle was coming toward him quickly. He removed the child from Edward's arms and carried her in, ignoring the others as they questioned what had happen.

"Has been woken up at all?" Carlisle questioned. He ordered Emmett to clear the dining room table and then to grab one of the down comforters from upstairs and then asked Esmé to get some towels and hot water together.

After Emmett spread the comforter across the table and a pillow overtop, Carlisle laid the child down as gently as possible. He took the bowl of water and towels Esmé brought over and started to wipe her skin, trying to create some heat. Esmé did the same on the other side as the others watched.

"No, she hasn't. When I first heard her, I thought she was screaming for help but I think she was dreaming. She didn't move when Bella and I found her, nor did she when I carried her back. I can't tell if she was knocked unconscious, if she fainted, or if she is just asleep… her heartbeat though… is that normal, Carlisle?"

"Her body is in overdrive to keep it warm. Most times, the human heart slows down to conserve but she's fighting everything."

"That's good though, right?" Emmett questioned as he watched his adoptive parents take care of the girl. "She's fighting to keep going?"

Carlisle shook his head and looked up at Emmett as he continued to wash her with the warm water. "Not always, Emmett; she's a little girl. She isn't as strong as an adult, which means her body will react differently. If her body is solely focused on creating energy to keep warm, therefore pushing her heart faster, she'll burn up energy faster and not have enough for other processes. It could be more dangerous than the alternative."

"Which is?"

"Hypothermia; at least then her body slows down and becomes dormant for a while," he answered. "She was either knocked unconscious from whoever caused those bruises, or she fainted from the lack of energy. After I make sure her temperature is stable, I'll go to the hospital to get an IV and some other equipment for her recovery."

Rosalie stepped around Esmé and started to stroke the little girl's hair. "Poor, poor baby," she whispered. Her eyes glimmered as if she were going to cry but her eyes only got drier as her breath caught in her throat. "Who would do such a thing to a child? Who would leave her like that in the woods to die?"

"The same demons that gave her those bruises," Edward hissed. Rosalie sobbed quietly and knelt next to the table. Emmett came up behind her and tried to soothe her by patting her back lovingly. It didn't help though; Rosalie couldn't control her emotions. She started to cry harder, furious that anyone would hurt a child. She loved them and since immortality had taken the chance to have her own away permanently, she was heartbroken that anyone would take advantage of something she considered to be a miracle.

While the others either tried to help the little girl or discussed tactics on how to pursue the matter, only one person was left: Jasper. He stood in the back of the room, ignoring the other emotions as he paid attention to hers. They screamed to him like her thoughts had attracted Edward but in a similar way, he couldn't get a read on them. Her emotions were all over the place, more so than usual for a human. It threw him off a bit and he didn't know what to think.

"I don't know how you are going to want to pursue this, Carlisle," Bella interjected as she came into the room. Everyone except Rosalie turned to look at her.

"What do you mean?" he questioned, eyeing the leather bag and piece of parchment that was in her hand. Edward went to join her side before bringing her past Jasper and more so into the room.

"I did a bit of digging around since I caught another scent, one much like her own. A few meters from where she was, I found this with a letter inside of it;" she held up the bag and parchment before going on. "It was her father who left her there. He claimed she was the devil's child, plagued by demons. He tried to have her institutionalized after her mother was murdered but they wouldn't accept her."

"What?" Rosalie shot off the ground, her pale slim hands balled into tight fists. Her glare could kill a human from a mile away. "He blamed the child for her mother's death? He tried to have her _institutionalized_!? That's why he beat her and left her to die?"

"Last sentence says that no one should touch her. He left her in God's hands so he could fix her," Bella murmured. Her golden eyes lingered on the child, a look of pure sympathy that could break hearts.

Even though sympathy was clear, so was suspicion. Everyone noticed it as she watched the child.

"Isabella, what is it?" Carlisle asked gently.

"It said she's a seer. She sees the future, Carlisle. If that means what I think it means, that little girl saw who killed her mother and how. She knows more than what she is supposed to know."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two of Bitter Sweet Melody**

**Written to: Evenstar - LOTR ~ The Two Towers (Score)**

**Reviews are really welcomed. Please and thank you!**

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Chapter Two

The whole family was silent as they all stared at the little girl on the table. She was still impossibly still but her color was returning; her cheeks were rosier, as were her pink lips. Her skin was pale but that could have been her natural color. Carlisle was only worried about how her veins had been so transparent when Edward brought her in.

"You think she had a premonition of her mother's murder and her father wanted her silenced?" Esme questioned carefully. Bella nodded and walked closer to the child.

"It makes sense. It would also explain why he wanted her committed; she wouldn't be able to even give hints because no one would believe a child who was deemed crazy," Bella explained. She tilted her head as she watched the child's chest rise and fall with each shallow breath.

"Between being abused and abandoned by her father, and then seeing her mother murdered, she must have been scared out of her mind. If all of this is correct, I bet the thoughts I heard before we found her was her having a nightmare. It would explain why nothing made sense; dreams hardly do," Edward added on. Carlisle nodded and went back to trying to fix her temperature.

"Edward, please grab the thermometer," he asked his eldest son. Edward did as he was told in a second flat while Carlisle started to talk again. "Did the letter say her name?"

Bella nodded once. "It says her name is Mary Alice Brandon in the beginning but for the rest of the letter, he refers to her as Alice."

Her temperature read stable and Carlisle sighed. "I would love to get her washed up but I think we should wait until she is awake. The poor thing needs to build up strength before we do anything. I'm going to run out to the hospital and get some supplies."

"Should we take her upstairs, Carlisle? She can stay in our room and rest; a bed is definitely more comfortable than the table," Rosalie murmured. When Carlisle agreed, she had her husband gather the little girl in his arms, blanket and all, and directed him to carry her upstairs. Everyone except Carlisle, Jasper, and Bella went up with them to make sure the girl was safe.

"Bella, would you like to come? While I am there, you can stop in the police station. Talk to Chief Swan, maybe he can give you some tips. Don't let on about what's going on though, of course. They'll put the child in state care."

Bella nodded and looked at Jasper carefully. "Are you coming?"

Before he could answer, Carlisle spoke. "I think you should stay. If the girl wakes up, she'll most likely be scared. If Rosalie and Esme can't calm her down, you could."

"I don't exactly trust myself with a human yet, Carlisle," Jasper muttered. Though the little girl's emotions intrigued him, he could still smell her; still taste her drool-worthy scent in his mouth.

"You won't hurt her, Jasper," Bella murmured softly as she placed a hand on his forearm. She stroked his cotton covered skin gently; she had more trust in her brother than he did and sometimes, Jasper begrudged her for it. He didn't see that she saw the gentleness he still possessed from his human years. Jasper was still convinced he was a monster; he had killed enough to be one.

"You have too much faith in me, Isabella," he muttered in return and pulled his arm away from her. Bella frowned but did not try to touch him again.

"Emmett will be here," Carlisle tried to amend. "So will Edward and Rosalie. You know Rosalie; she would die before any harm comes to a child."

Though it gave him some comfort, Jasper couldn't help but still not trust himself. He was drawn to the girl and was sympathetic; he felt she should never have had to suffer, especially with being betrayed by her own father, and he certainly did not want to make them worth.

Still, he knew better than to argue with Carlisle. The coven leader had taken him in on good faith so many years ago and he made himself promise he would do whatever he wanted. If that meant holding his breath around a human and learning to deal with the pain, he would.

A few minutes later, both Carlisle and Bella were gone, leaving Jasper standing in the middle of room by himself. He looked up at the ceiling; he could hear, even feel the little girl's heartbeat. Alice, Bella had said; her name was Alice. Mary Alice Brandon, but was referred to as Alice. Jasper couldn't help the grim smile that crossed his lips. Alice was an unknown name now, hardly ever used while Mary was overused and simple. Alice fit the girl much more.

"You should go upstairs you know. She started to stir a bit but she needs to stay asleep."

Edward's voice startled Jasper from his thoughts. He didn't hear the bronze haired vampire come down, nor did he pick up on his emotions. That rarely happens, even when they are the same as his own; since the moment Maria had turned him, he had learned to distinguish his emotions from others.

"I guess you heard everything," Jasper muttered, making Edward smile inwardly.

"Just a bit," he answered. "You won't hurt the girl Jasper. By the way you looked at her… we all know she would be safe. Esme has a feeling you're going to be closest to her, other than Rose."

"Esme has wishful thinking. Are we actually keeping her?" Jasper asked incredulously. Edward nodded and leaned back against the wall across from the pathokinetic. "You have got to be joking; they want to raise a human with a bunch of vampires?"

"I'll admit, when you say it that way, it doesn't sound smart. But come on, Jazz, you know Rose. She's not going to pass this up; she wants to be a mother and that little girl is going to give her the chance. Same with Esme, even if she'll be a grandmother; hell, even Emmett is psyched to be a dad. They're planning the whole family statue out now."

Jasper was amused at Emmett's reaction. He knew the big oaf wanted kids when he was human. He was happy for Rosalie and Emmett, and knew they would be great parents. That didn't affect the possible outcomes of raising a human.

"So what are you and Bella? Aunt and Uncle?" he asked jokingly. Edward smiled once again.

"As well as the godparents," he added.

"And what does that make me then?" Jasper pressed on. He was amused by their ideas. It was like they were creating a utopic family. Nothing would be out of place.

Edward shrugged in return. "Whatever you want to be to her," he answered.

Both men looked up when they heard the stirring and whimpering. Alice was rolling around in the bed, crying softly. Jasper could hear the poor girl's whimpers and Rosalie trying to comfort by singing sweet lullabies. It wasn't enough. Both Esme and Rosalie tried cooing to her, telling her she was safe and sound. Still nothing worked. Even Emmett tried but the girl could not rest peacefully.

"I believe that is your calling," Edward said jokingly. Jasper just shot him a look but went up the steps, entering Rosalie's and Emmett's bedroom in less than a few seconds. The others looked over at him, each of their expressions worried and sad. Jasper inhaled slowly, testing the room. Thankfully, Rosalie and Emmett's scent masked Alice's tasty smell enough for him to relax; not much, but just enough.

Moving slowly, Jasper walked toward the bed and tried his best to influence her emotions. Trying to calm her, he dipped into her current state, and was overwhelmed with worry. It was so much that it nearly overwhelmed him, taking over his emotions as if she had his gift. That had never happened before, never once in his time. Vampires matching his strength succumbed to his power while this little girl automatically had him wrapped around his finger.

"Maybe if you were closer to her, it would work more," Edward murmured from the door. The others backed away reluctantly as Jasper padded closer. He sat on the edge of the bed, leaving a bit of distance between them. He sniffed again lightly and Emmett came closer, keeping a watchful eye over Alice; he had already adopted her under his wing and was ready to take on his uncontrolled brother.

Jasper was fine, though. His throat ached but it was nothing he couldn't handle. He reached out with his hand, still hesitant to touch the girl, and laid it on her stomach. Again, her emotions hit him like a thirty-foot tall tidal wave. He jolted back a little, making the girl whimper and whine louder in her restlessness. Closing his eyes, Jasper leaned forward again and focused on covering her with a blanket of calm and love. It was the two emotions every child depended on.

The whimpering slowed to a stop and she was fast asleep. Jasper sighed and smiled grimly, knowing it had taken a lot out of him. The most important thing was that not once had Jasper thought about attacking her. She was safe with him, for now.

The others were relieved, letting go of their tense emotions as if they were releasing doves at a wedding. Rosalie was especially ecstatic about Alice's immediate change and was so happy that her little girl was at peace.

It didn't last long.

The moment Jasper got up, Alice became agitated again. He sat back down, letting his lingering hand return, and she became quiet again. He repeated his actions again and again, testing out what was happening, until Rosalie snapped at him.

"Don't keep messing with her emotions! You'll wake her up!" she said; Esme nodded in agreement. Jasper rolled his eyes and stayed seated. He listened to the others converse about their findings and how it was interesting. It was almost like he and Alice were connected.

Edward got the idea that they should hunt. Jasper's head snapped up to look at the others, wondering if they had all gone insane. They wanted to leave him with the child? Were they crazy? Were they mad?

Esme chuckled as she read the emotions on his face. "I'll be downstairs. You'll be fine. You said so yourself; you aren't thirsty for her," the loving matriarch explained. Without giving Jasper a chance to argue, all of them left the room, leaving the least experienced vegetarian to _babysit_.

Was it possible for vampires to be deranged?!

When the door closed behind Esme, Alice stirred again but didn't make any noise. Unable to help himself, Jasper leaned over and stroked her inky hair, spreading more waves of warmth. She was still again but like before, it only lasted a few minutes.

"No…" she whimpered. "Please… Daddy… don't."

Jasper's eyes widened as she whispered in her sleep. The soft wails started again and words were mixed with the high pitched tones; it was the same four words each time, all in different orders.

Feeling pain for knowing that Alice had been hurt by the one man who was alive to protect her, he did the unthinkable. Jasper lifted her up as gently as he could; keeping her swaddled in the thick blanket, he cradled her in his lap. Her pleas stopped for the moment as she automatically curled into his lap. Jasper didn't mind as he held her close; the urge to protect her was overwhelming.

When he looked down, he gasped. Alice looked up at him with drowsy brown eyes. She didn't scream or cry; she merely watched him with tired irises. When forever had passed, she closed her eyes again and snuggled into Jasper's chest.

No longer was the thirst holding him to reality. No, it was her.


End file.
